Merchant of Death
Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible

Blood from Stones

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Hamas' Call for Attacks on Americans is New Threat
In the wake of reports that an Israeli tnak strike killed 18 people in the Gaza Strip, Hamas' military wing issued a call for Muslims around the world to attack American targets.

This is dangerous for several reasons. One is that Hamas has a broad financial infrastructure inside the United States and enjoys some support among parts of the U.S. Islamic community, so there would be little need infiltrate operators. There could be people already here willing to carry out such attacks.

A second reason is that Hamas has traditionally not advocated attacks on the United States. But this call by the Hamas military wing is unambiguous: "America is offering political, financial and logistic cover for the Zionist occupation crimes, and it is responsible for the Beit Hanoun massacre. Therefore, the people and the nation all over the globe are required to teach the American enemy tough lessons," Hamas' military wing said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

This would add another dimension for defending American targets here and abroad. Hamas has a broad presence in Europe as well, where it is often viewed as an organization with a political wing that can be separated from its military wing. While European governments have recently moved to designate Hamas as a terrorist entity, there is still widespread public support for Hamas' political operation.

It is interesting to note that the Hamas political wing immediately distanced itself from that military wing's statement. This is a familiar tactic (and sometimes honest conundrum) among armed groups that maintain a political wing-let the political side say whatever it needs to remain viable, while the military wing makes almost all the decisions.

Finally, this is worrisome because Hamas is a direct offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Brotherhood offers Hamas a worldwide network for moving money, maintaining secure communications links and moving weapons. This was demonstrated when Bank Al Taqwa in the Bahamas was designated a terrorist financing entity immediately after 9-11. It was found that, in addition to aiding al Qaeda, the bank, the primary financial institution of the Brotherhood, had been moving millions of dollars for Hamas as well.

The message is interesting in that it calls on Muslims all over the world to strike America, with no distinction between Sunni and Shi'ite. The language is striking similar to what the Brotherhood often uses.
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
Britain's Growing Islamist Problem
The Moderation of the Muslim Brotherhood
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